Our commitment
The University of Limerick Age Friendly University Committee (UL-AFU) was formed in 2022 with a focus on encouraging the participation of older adults in key activities of the university, including educational and research programmes. This action springs from our longstanding commitment to expanding the benefits of higher education to adults of all ages. Over the past decade, UL has generated and sustained programming and outreach efforts to foster the inclusion of this larger population in our educational missions. Becoming an Age Friendly University (AFU) aligns with the principles of inclusivity, lifelong learning, community engagement, and societal impact. We at UL are committed to fostering an environment where individuals of all ages feel welcome, supported, and empowered to learn and contribute to the academic community.
The Mission of the Committee
The mission of the UL-AFU is to create an inclusive culture, that values diversity, encourages the participation of older persons from both within and outside of the UL Community in the act of ‘knowledge creation and exchange’.
Terms of Reference:
- The UL Age Friendly University Committee (UL- AFU) will review the Principles of the Age Friendly University considering their relevance to UL.
- Work with organisations whose key focus is on enriching the experience of older persons.
- Review the principles of the U3A ‘University of the Third Age’.
- To act as a forum to challenge ageism and promote positive ageing.
- Utilise social media to challenge ageism and create positive engagement on the topic e.g. #ageproud and #agepositive, #intergenerationallearning.
- Agree membership of an external advisory board comprising organisations and experts working with or representing older people.
- Engage with internal stakeholders including UL Retirees Group RESTART, UL Access Campus and UL Student Volunteers.
- Create a cross-generational movement organising events and campaigns that are inclusive of all ages to create solidarity, knowledge transfer and understanding between generations.
- Agree a schedule of events for the next 12 months.
- Consider the implementation of an Action Plan for review and approval by the HR-EDI Committee
- Undertake a mapping exercise to identify the range of activities/programmes etc. linking it to the AFU principles to identify where our focus is and identify gaps.
- Identify academic areas where integration of older students can be particularly beneficial for regular students and older citizens alike (e.g. local history, social studies, political participation, European Studies, literary studies, film studies, musical appreciation, languages etc.)
- Identify funding opportunities to support and expand Age Friendly University activities, such as national schemes, ERASMUS+ and others.
Principles of the Age Friendly University
- To encourage the participation of older adults in all the core activities of the university, including educational and research programmes.
- To promote personal and career development in the second half of life and to support those who wish to pursue "second careers".
- To recognise the range of educational needs of older adults (from those who were early school-leavers through to those who wish to pursue Master's or PhD qualifications).
- To promote intergenerational learning to facilitate the reciprocal sharing of expertise between learners of all ages.
- To widen access to online educational opportunities for older adults to ensure a diversity of routes to participation.
- To ensure that the university's research agenda is informed by the needs of an ageing society and to promote public discourse on how higher education can better respond to the varied interests and needs of older adults.
- To increase the understanding of students of the longevity dividend and the increasing complexity and richness that ageing brings to our society.
- To enhance access for older adults to the university's range of health and wellness programmes and its arts and cultural activities.
- To engage actively with the university's own retired community.
- To ensure regular dialogue with organisations representing the interests of the ageing population.